During the start of term, Harry began to see less and less of Alina Black. In fact, it was more like she'd dropped off the face of the earth, and was never coming back. Hermione had told him to stop worrying and that she was a big girl and could take care of herself, besides, she'd been invited to the Slug Club the following night. Although that was comforting news to Harry, seeing her with Draco Malfoy was not. He'd spied her one afternoon outside on the front grounds lawn, which was an unusual place for Draco to be lounging in the first place, and the extendible ear in his pocket seemed to be jumping in loops, so he'd lowered it down from a higher balcony to listen. They'd been sitting just below in on the bench, Malfoy's face stitched with tension. Alina didn't seem all that comforted by his presence, but nevertheless did not make a motion to leave.
"It's my job you know…mine…" he said in a childish voice. Alina was clutching her left arm tightly, keeping her robe down over it.
"And you think I have much of a choice? But I won't do it." She said sternly. "No matter what you threaten me with…you can't make me…" he shoved her back against the wall behind her and Harry almost lost it.
"Then HE will!" he spat at her. "or she will." He chuckled. "auntie Bella would love to finish you off…just like your filthy…" she punched him…Harry stared open mouthed. She punched him. He fell off the bench and hit the hard ground below him.
"Don't you EVER speak about my father." She hissed. "At least mine's not in Azkaban!" she barked watching the horror cross his face and the anger turn it red.
He started to get up sneering at her, his eyes wary and tired.
"Say what you want Black, but when the Dark Lord comes for you, it'll be the end of your life." And he stomped away across the lawn heading towards the lake. Harry's gaze followed after Alina, whom got up and slammed the castle door open to come back inside. As she came in, he flew down the stairs to meet her at the bottom, but Snape was blocking his view. He was directly in front of her, staring down at her left arm which she was still clutching, and then back up to her face.
"Professor." She said curtly and tried to pass him. He cut her off putting his arm stiffly against the wall.
"Miss Black, I should like to know where your essay has taken residency, because it surely is not within my hands." He jeered at her.
"I didn't do it…" she said trying to move past him again, he stopped her by grabbing the back of her hair.
"Do not walk away from me when I'm talking to you Black." She stopped, her face a contortion of rage whirling around to face him.
"Stay the HELL away from me!" she shouted. He released her from his grip and many kids in the corridor stopped to stare. Among them, Harry saw Ron and Hermione gather from the staircases to the main entrance.
"Detention! Two weeks worth!" Snape spat at her horridly and took of down the corridor in a mess of black swirling robes. Alina put her head down, and started in a soft run through the corridor, listening to the whispers and jaunts haunting her every step, but Harry cut her off. She back tracked a few steps, letting go of her arms, in her bright green eyes he could see a fierce look of anger.
"Move Harry." She said in a voice that could have, not that he was saying it did, but could have matched Bellatrix.
"Make me." He said gesturing to her left arm. "Go on then let's see it." He snapped at her grabbing her arm to pull up her sleeve. She moved, jerking her arm back and put her wand at his throat.
"Let go of me Potter." Now Harry was wholly convinced she was a Death Eater. He'd never heard her say more than three words.
"No! Why!?" he hissed to her, watching her black hair dance wildly around her face in loose stringy curls, much like Sirius's had.
"Prove it Potter, I dare you." She said simply yanking her arm back and shoving him away from her. "Why don't you run to Dumbledore, tell him what you think of me? Tell him I'm a Death Eater." The words came out of her mouth in slews, hateful nasty sentences, like all the anger inside her was coming forth.
"I didn't mean…I just…what?" he said shaking his head.
"Go on then, tell him like you tell on Draco. Go tell him I'm hiding in the corridors and trying to do nasty things Harry, go on tell him." She whispered. He watched her, realizing with regret, that this was all stemming from everything everyone said about her all the time. He hadn't given it much thought, about what the other kids kept saying to her, calling her names, like "Mud-Blood Murderer" and "Black the Whack". He stared at her, giving her a sympathetic look, and without warning she took a short breath and her eyes rolled backwards fluttering. Harry rushed forward to catch her, as she sank to the hard stone floor, Hermione and Ron running to meet them. He looked up at them as Alina lay in his arms, her eyes still twitching, and a trickle of blood bubbled from the corner of her right eye. Harry gasped almost dropping her on the floor, because it wasn't just one drop of blood, but it came from her nose…her lips…her other eye…and with the blood she began to twitch in uncontrollable movements. Harry shouted for someone, anyone, anyone but who came running. Professor Snape rounded the hall corner, back tracking towards them again, wide eyed and glanced outside the window. Harry felt him yank Alina's body away from him mumbling some counter curse he didn't know, his wand touching her upper chest, but found his eyes traveling outside to where Snape had glanced. He saw Malfoy poised, lowering his wand, a venomous glare in his eyes, and turn rushing away from the grounds. As Harry got to his feet, prepared to run after him, Snape grabbed his robes.
"NO POTTER!" he screamed making his blood grow cold. "She needs you here." He said sternly looking to Hermione. "Miss Granger, get Madam Promphrey at once!" he hissed to her. Ron took off dragging Hermione with him, as Harry knelt beside Snape and Alina. He took her hand holding it oddly, it felt strange, to be next to her while her face was contorted in such a wild look.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" he said closing his eyes, as if blacking it out would make it go away.
When Alina woke up, she saw six faces staring at her, among them sat Harry Potter beside her head. She blinked sharply trying to sit up, and felt a pressure on her chest holding her down. Harry looked down at her hard, shaking his head.
"Madam Promphrey said to lay still." He said to her. She didn't understand why he was there at first, but from the look on Hermione's and Ron's faces, she was sure she could figure it out. She knew that whatever had hit her was a curse from Bellatrix herself, no other could be as deadly as her, she'd known that the hard way…but it hadn't been Bellatrix that had hexed her. She looked around from Hagrid, the gamekeeper, to Professor Snape, to Ginny Weasley, to Ronald Weasley, to Hermione Granger, and finally to Harry Potter.
"What happened?" she asked in a silent whisper. Snape eyed her cautiously but never made direct eye contact with her, as if daring her to remember what had happened.
"You were hexed…" Ginny said flatly snapping while she caught Snape's eye. Ron AND Hermione failed to notice the icy tone to her words, but Harry felt a chill run down his spine.
"You are lucky to be alive." Snape said curtly in response. He glanced to Harry, lingered for a moment, and then turned on his heel and marched out of the medical wing. Hagrid blew his nose on his polka dot handkerchief.
"Can't believe…sum'un' would try ter' hex er'…." He blew loudly into the already soaked rag. Harry sighed, smiling apologetically at her again.
"Well Hagrid, she is Sirius's daughter…what would you expect?" she laughed dryly.
"Some peace once in a while." She whispered back, the pain still evident in her voice. Hermione stood dragging Ron up with her as she went giving him an all knowing look.
"Well, Harry, we ought to be studying for the potions exam tomorrow." Ron stared at her bug eyed.
"You study, I wan…" she elbowed him hard in the ribs, and Ginny found her feet as well.
"See you in the common room." And the three of them were walking out of the wing, Hagrid strayed behind for a moment, deciding if the two were fit to stay there alone, and chose to follow the others in silence. Alina looked to Harry, almost asleep again.
"I could hear you…when I was lying there…" she said to him, starting to sit up. He moved quickly to help her sit up, and her left robe sleeve slipped back. Harry saw the Dark Mark etched neatly and cleanly into her skin. It was a new mark, burning darkly into her pale skin. She shook, pulling her arm away, but Harry caught it before she could pull it away.
"You're not one of them, I know you're not." He said firmly his fingers brushing over the mark. She didn't meet his gaze, which was raking over her arm, because she felt the shame rising off from it.
"I never asked to be…when the Prophet found me…Bella found me too…and Fenrir was with her." Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Fenrir?" he asked puzzled. She looked at him now, a few of her wild black tendrils of hair falling over her eyes.
"Fenrir Greyback, he's like the Death Eater that leads the werewolves." She said fighting the urge to yawn. He saw the freckles that dusted her cheeks move in odd ways, forming pictures and constellations as she spoke.
"They hunted you down and made you join didn't they?" he asked her. She glanced down at the sheets covering her stomach.
"I said no…that's why I was branded…I'm Bella's to kill, at least Voldermort gave her the permission too." Harry sighed, his hand slipping down over hers, and it closed around it.
